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Odd Home Office key

10 visible archived posts · 10 preserved total · topic ID 6029

holstcollection 23 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Paul Davies 23 Jan 2016

Can I suggest to Mark Lyons that he post a photo of his 1935 womens prison belt which I doubt was made by Hiatt, but uses the same type of key. That could be your answer.
Paul

Anonymous 24 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

http://www.network54.com/Forum/261154/t ... ther+cuffs

Paul Davies 24 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

But from the link above you'll see the same type of key used for a restraint made by an unknown. As far as I know, this type of key was only used in the prison system. I do not think it would have been used in asylums. I have three H.O. keys, but none are stamped Hiatt or numbered. I can only imagine they would be numbered for inventory reasons, since they all open the same locks.
Paul

Paul Davies 24 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

I also have a Home Office cuff stamped 31(same as your key Lars) and PP. Not sure which prison PP was but I have been told that each prison was given a number. So the number could just mean the property of that particular Prison and not meant to correspond to a key number since they are all the same.

Anonymous 24 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

could be the casting pattern number and have nothing to do with the cuff numbering system.

Mark lyons 24 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

Hi

The only belt that I have has a Berliner on it.

I do have some end locks with a H.O. key and 2 pairs of cuffs.
I do have a very nice H.O. cuff for TRADE.

All of the cuffs and end locks have the unmarked version to the right.
I have never seen one marked with "Hiatt" before.
Thanks for sharing.

The correct Mark
O--O

holstcollection 24 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

Thanks for the input!

Interesting theory about the numbers. Both my stamped keys and the HO Darby cuffs are stamped "31".
As you say; it's possible the number connect them to a certain prison.

Does any of you have a key similar in shape to the right key or are your keys like the stamped one but without stampings?

Lars

Paul Davies 25 Jan 2016

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

My 3 keys look like the one stamped Hiatt, but have no stampings.
The anon who suggested that the numbers are a casting number is most likely not correct because they are hand stamped - not part of the casting.
I will try and find out, from an acquaintance of of mine who runs a prison museum, which Prison was allocated the number 31.
Paul

holstcollection 25 Jan 2016

#10

I recently bought a restraint belt equipped with Chubb Escorts. This a more modern belt and it differ from
the older ones as the cuffs can be replaced. This belt is a small size belt and would fit a slender woman or a juvenile.

I was told this belt is a surplus from the HM Prison Service in the UK which add some significance to it.

On the key ring, together with the original Chubb key, was a Home Office key. The end lock for the belt was unfortunately
missing but the key was a nice bonus as Home Office keys are pretty hard to find.

I already have two Home Office keys but they both differ from this one as this one seem to be much older according to the shape.

The odd key is the one to the right and unlike the other two I have, it's not stamped. Any thoughts? Joe?

Lars

Click to expand...

Thank you very much Paul for the information.

I also believe the key to the left is the most current but I didn't know so few of them are marked.

Please continue your research, it would be interesting to know from what prision thes restraints came from, the number "31" prison.

Lars